Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been proposed as a suitable tool for liquid biopsy in colorectal cancer (CRC), although most studies to date have focused almost exclusively on sequencing of panels of potential clinically actionable genes. We evaluated the clinical value of whole-exome sequencing (WES) of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) circulating in plasma, with the goal of identifying differential clinical profiles in patients with CRC. To this end, we applied an original concept, "differential presence of exons" (DPE). We determined differences in levels of 379 exons in plasma cfDNA and used DPE analysis to cluster and classify patients with disseminated and localized disease. The resultant bioinformatics analysis pipeline allowed us to design a predictive DPE algorithm in a small subset of patients that could not be initially classified based on the selection criteria. This DPE suggests that these nucleic acids could be actively released by both tumor and nontumor cells as a means of intercellular communication and might thus play a role in the process of malignant transformation. DPE is a new technique for the study of plasma cfDNA by WES that might have predictive and prognostic value in patients with CRC.